1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector and, more particularly, relates to a pair of male and female connectors with locking mechanisms which are fitted to each other to perform electric connection.
2. Related Art
Generally, a connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 50408/1998 shown in FIG. 21 is known as such a kind of connector. This connector is formed of a connector 3 having a slider housing portion 2 in which a slider 1 is housed, and a female connector 5 in which the male connector housing 4 of the male connector 3 is fitted. Coil springs 6 and the slider 1 are housed within the slider housing portion 2 of the male connector 3. Stopper projections 7 are protrusively provided at the female connector 5. These stopper projections 7 abut against abutment projections 8 formed at the slider 1 when the male connector 3 is fitted into the female connector 5 to thereby act to push the slider 1 into the slider housing portion 2. When the male connector 3 is half-fitted into the female connector 5, the coil springs 6 act to push back the female connector 5 due to the repulsive force thereof. When the fitting operation is completed, the abutment projections 8 move over the stopper projections 7 of the female connector 5 and so the slider 1 and the coil springs 6 are restored to their initial states. The locking operation of the fitting state between the male connector 3 and the female connector 5 is performed by slanted projection 9A formed at the female connector 5 and a locking arm 9B formed at the male connector 3.
However, according to the aforesaid related connector, since the female connector 5 requires two kinds of projections, that is, the stopper projections 7 and the slanted projection 9A, the housing of the female connector 5 becomes large in its size and complicated in its construction. Thus, the female connector is difficult to be used commonly to a unit to which the male connector 3 is integrally provided, for example. Further, since the locking arm 9B is provided above the male connector 3 and the slider 1 is disposed above the locking arm, there arises a problem that the male connector 3 becomes large in its size and complicated in its construction. Therefore, there also arises a problem that the manufacturing cost of the connectors becomes high.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a connector which can be simplified and miniaturized in its configuration and high in general-purpose properties.
To achieve the above objects, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a connector comprising:
a first connector including a connector insertion portion and a slide member insertion portion adjacent to the connector insertion portion;
a second connector to which the first connector is fitted in a fitting direction;
a locking mechanism including a locking member provided at a side portion of the connector insertion portion for holding a sate where the first and second connectors are fitted each other in a fitted state;
a slide member including an elastic member which is provided in and slidable along the slide member insertion portion, wherein the elastic member urges the second connector in a direction opposite to the fitting direction by its repulsive force when the first and second connectors are half-fitted each other in a half-fitted state; and
a rotation guide mechanism, for rotating the slide member by a predetermined angle in accordance with a movement of the slide member in the fitting direction, provided at the slide member insertion portion and the slide member, wherein the slide member can be engaged with the locking mechanism in accordance with the rotation of the slide member.
According to first aspect of the invention, since the locking mechanism portion and the slide member insertion portion are adjacently disposed at the side portion of the connector insertion portion in which the second connectors are fitted in the housing of the second connectors, the size of the thickens of the first connector can be prevented from being large, and the configuration of the connector provided with the locking mechanism portion and the slide member insertion portion for detecting the half-fitting state with the locking mechanism portion can be miniaturized. Further, according to the first aspect of the invention, the slider member can convert the linear movement into the rotation movement by the rotation guide mechanism. Thus, the slide member side can be engaged with the locking mechanism side by the rotation of the slide member, so that the half-fitting state of both the connectors can be detected, for example.
According to a second aspect of the invention, in the connector of the first aspect, the slide member includes an abutment projection which abuts against the second connector upon fitting of the first and second connectors and a projection which is engaged with the locking mechanism in accordance with the rotation of the slide member.
Thus, according to the second aspect of the invention, the slide member abuts at its abutment projection against the second connector and inserted within the slide member insertion portion of the first connector. In accordance with this insertion, the slide member rotates and its latching projection is engaged by the locking mechanism side. When the engaging state of the latching projection and the locking mechanism is maintained, the slide member holds the state being pushed into the slide member insertion portion, so that the half-fitting state of the connectors can be detected.
According to a third aspect of the invention, in the connector of the first or second aspect, the rotation guide mechanism is formed by a first guided surface formed at a front end portion of the slide member in the fitting direction and a second guide surface formed at the slide member insertion portion for rotating the slide member in contact with the first guided surface in accordance with sliding movement of said slide member.
According to the third aspect of the invention, since the guided surface of the slide member side slides with the guide surface of the slide member insertion portion side, the guided surface slides with the guide surface to thereby rotate the slide member in accordance with the insertion of the slide member.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the connector of the second aspect,
the locking member is formed by a supporting portion formed at a housing of the first connector and a locking piece extended in the fitting direction,
the locking piece has a predetermined flexibility for almost integrally swinging front and rear portions of the locking piece with respect to the supporting portion, and includes a latching portion and a projection latching portion which are provided the front portion of the locking piece,
the latching portion is engaged with an engagement projection protruded from a housing of the second connector in the fitted state, and
the projection latching portion interferes the sliding movement of the slide member in the half-fitted state.
Thus, according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the latching portion of the locking piece constituting the locking mechanism acts to stop the latching projection of the other connector being fitted to hold the fitting state. Further, since the projection latching portion stops the rotated latching projection when both the connectors are in the half-sitting state, the slide member can be prevented from restoring to the initial state to thereby act to recognize that the fitting state has not been completed.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, in the connector of the fourth aspect, the engagement projection pushes the latching portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the fitting direction and passes the latching portion therethrough, and the projection of the slide member abuts against the projection latching portion in the half-fitted state.
Thus, according to the fifth aspect of the invention, the engagement projection formed at the housing of the second connector pushes the latching portion of the locking piece in the direction almost perpendicular to the fitting direction in accordance with the fitting of both the connectors, the projection of the slide member likely engages with the projection latching portion of the front end portion of the locking piece. Thus, the slide member can be surely prevented from restoring to the initial state at the time of half-fitting, so that the fitting state can be surely detected.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, in the connector of the first aspect, the slide member is a cylindrical shape, the elastic member is a coil spring, and the elastic member is inserted from a rear end side of the slider member.
Thus, according to the sixth aspect of the invention, since the slide member is configured in a cylindrical shape, the connector can be miniaturized as compared with the slide member of a rectangular shape. Further, since the elastic member is housed within the slide member, the attachment property is good and the space can be saved.